Home Office

Home Office: Departmental Responsibilities

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which Minister holds the responsibilities previously held by the Minister for Afghan Resettlement.

Robert Jenrick: As Minister for Immigration, I lead on Resettlement: this includes Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy.The Rt Hon member for Wells holds responsibility for Defence Afghanistan Relocation as Minister for Armed Forces. We work closely with Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon as Minister for Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and United Nations.

Refugees: Afghanistan

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) principals and (b) dependants have been relocated from Afghanistan to the UK via the Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme under (i) Pathway 2 and (ii) Pathway 3 since June 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The latest Immigration System Statistics, year ending December 2022, show that since their first arrivals in 2021, the Afghan schemes – the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) - have resettled a total of 21,387 people. The ACRS will see up to 20,000 people from Afghanistan and the region resettled to the UK over the coming years.Under the second pathway, which opened in 2022, we have now begun to receive the first referrals from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) of vulnerable refugees who have fled Afghanistan for resettlement to the UK. We are pleased to have welcomed the first 22 people to the UK under Pathway 2.Under Pathway 3 we have welcomed the first arrivals to the UK and look forward welcoming all remaining individuals under this Pathway as soon as is practically possible. There are currently no published statistics on Pathway 3 as arrivals under this pathway began after the start of the new reporting period. The next publication of statistics is due on 25 May 2023.

Immigration and Asylum (Provision of Accommodation to Failed Asylum Seekers) Regulations 2005

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she intends to amend the Immigration and Asylum (Provision of Accommodation to Failed Asylum Seekers) Regulations 2005 to ensure people whose asylum claims are declared inadmissible are eligible for support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether people who make a protection or human rights claim for asylum and who meet the four conditions set out in clause 2 of the Illegal Migration Bill would undergo an asylum screening interview.

Robert Jenrick: In respect of screening interviews for those in scope of clause 2 of the Illegal Migration Bill, the processes for implementing the measures will be set out in due course.Section 17 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 provided that where an asylum claim is declared inadmissible under sections 80A or 80B of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, that individual may be supported under section 4(2) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.Clause 9 of the Illegal Migration Bill provides that where an asylum claim is declared inadmissible under clause 4 of the Bill, that individual may be supported under section 4(2) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.Support under section 4(2) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 is available where an individual appears to be destitute and satisfies one or more conditions in regulation 3(2) Immigration and Asylum (Provision of Accommodation to Failed Asylum-Seekers) Regulations 2005.

Refugees: Afghanistan

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been referred by the UNHCR to Pathway 2 of the Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme.

Robert Jenrick: The latest Immigration System Statistics, year ending December 2022, show that since their first arrivals in 2021, the Afghan schemes – the ACRS and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) - have resettled a total of 21,387 people. There are currently no published statistics on UNHCR referrals. We do not hold public data on the volume of referrals from UNHCR. The next publication of statistics is due on 25 May 2023 and may include this data. However, we anticipate receiving referrals from UNHCR for up to 2,000 refugees during the first year of pathway 2, although this number will be kept under review. Those referred under Pathway 2 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will be assessed for resettlement by UNHCR using their established process, and in line with their resettlement submission categories, which are based on people’s needs and vulnerabilities.Referrals are then assessed by the Home Office through a case working process and commissioning of relevant screening and security checks. Other aspects of the case, including medical, housing, and safeguarding needs, will be considered at this stage.We are pleased to have now welcomed the first 22 arrivals to the UK under ACRS Pathway 2, and we will continue to welcome many more people as we receive further UNHCR referrals.

Homelessness

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, published on 27 March 2023, what guidance her Department plans to publish on the definition of (a) nuisance and (b) blight caused by homeless people.

Chris Philp: We are carefully considering a statutory definition and will be using existing definitions where possible and appropriate.Further details will be set out in legislation and accompanying guidance at the earliest opportunity, following further engagement with stakeholders.

Crimes of Violence: Crime Prevention

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding has been allocated for implementation of the Serious Violence Duty by police force area in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25.

Chris Philp: This data is expected to be published in due course, once agreed with HM Treasury.

Cybercrime: China

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to protect (a) parliamentarians and (b) political refugees from China from state-sponsored cyber attacks by China.

Tom Tugendhat: The Government continually assesses potential threats in the UK, and takes protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously. The Home Office works closely with its partners to protect people identified as being at risk, and to ensure the UK is a safe and welcoming place for those who choose to settle here.All attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, undermining democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable.The Defending Democracy Taskforce was established last year to help protect the democratic integrity of the UK from foreign interference.

Nitrous Oxide: Misuse

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on which date she wrote to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs setting out her reasons for rejecting the Council’s recommendations on nitrous oxide.

Chris Philp: The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) published their report on nitrous oxide on 6 March, which set out the available evidence and made recommendations for action. This report can be found at the following link: Nitrous oxide: updated harms assessment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).The Government carefully considered the ACMD’s advice when making the decision to control nitrous oxide under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. In their report the ACMD cite anecdotal reports of an increase in neurological harms. They also identify evidence in relation to health and social harms and provide references to those sources within their report. This includes harms such as drug driving and littering as well as identifying widespread availability for illegitimate use. In addition to the ACMD’s review, the Government has received representations from members of the public, from police officers and others highlighting serious concerns and providing further anecdotal evidence of the dangers of nitrous oxide.The Government responded to the ACMD on 27 March. The Government’s response is available at the following link: Government response: ACMD nitrous oxide review (accessible) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Asylum: Children

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children her Department forecasts will be subject to the duty to remove under clause 2 of the Illegal Migration Bill in 2024.

Robert Jenrick: As set out in clause 1(1), the purpose of the Bill is to prevent and deter unlawful migration, and in particular migration by unsafe and illegal routes, by requiring the Home Secretary to return illegal migrants to their home country or remove them to a safe third country. The duty to make arrangements for removal in clause 2 does not apply to unaccompanied children, although there is a power to remove them under clause 3. An economic impact assessment will be published for the Bill in due course.

Immigration: Detainees

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of people predicted to be detained under clause 12 of the Illegal Migration Bill in (a) 2024, (b) 2025 and (c) 2026.

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate her Department has made of how many families with children will be (a) detained and (b) removed from the UK under the provisions of the Illegal Migration Bill in 2024.

Robert Jenrick: As set out in clause 1(1), the purpose of the Bill is to prevent and deter unlawful migration, and in particular migration by unsafe and illegal routes, by requiring the Home Secretary to return illegal migrants to their home country or remove them to a safe third country. An economic impact assessment will be published for the Bill in due course.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to reply to correspondence of (a) 24 January and (b) 16th February from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of a constituent Samantha Smith on abiometric residence permit.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office replied to the hon. Member on 17 February 2023.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to reply to correspondence of (a) 4 January and (b) 1 February from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of a constituent Charles Wright.

Robert Jenrick: A response was sent by the Minister for Immigration on 3 March 2023.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to reply to correspondence of (a) 23 January and (b) 2nd March 2023 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of Dr Richard Lawson.

Robert Jenrick: A response was sent by the Minister for Immigration on 6 March 2023.

Sleeping Rough

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Anti-social behaviour action plan, published on 27 March 2023, whether her Department plans to take steps to avoid the criminalisation of rough sleeping.

Miss Sarah Dines: The Government is clear that no one should be criminalised simply for having nowhere to live.  We have already embarked on a strategy to end rough sleeping with a focus on prevention and multi-agency support for vulnerable individuals, backed by £2 billion over three years.However, there are some instances of behaviour by those begging or sleeping rough that can cause harm or distress to the individuals and the wider public. Where this happens the Government wants to ensure police forces and local authorities are given the tools to direct vulnerable individuals into support where appropriate and help the public feel safe.We will continue to engage with stakeholders on these complex issues, before separate legislation is brought forward at the earliest parliamentary opportunity.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Evictions: Domestic Abuse

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will take steps to ensure victims of domestic abuse are not evicted from their homes following anti-social behaviour complaints.

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many and what proportion of local housing teams apply local connection tests to domestic violence victims fleeing to another geographic area.

Rachel Maclean: The Government is committed to addressing the needs of victims of domestic abuse, as set out in the Domestic Abuse Plan. We understand domestic abuse and security of tenure are issues that often co-exist, and our reforms take steps to support victims. As set out in the “A Fairer Private Rented Sector” White paper, the Government is committed to abolishing Section 21, so called 'no fault' evictions, which will make tenants significantly more secure in their homes, while periodic tenancies will ensure that tenants who are experiencing domestic abuse are not financially 'locked in' to a dangerous situation, as they will be able to end their tenancy at any point. We have also published guidance making clear that the Secretary of State strongly encourages local authorities to disapply the local connection test for victims of domestic abuse.The information requested on local connection tests is not held centrally.

Parish and Town Councils

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, in whom the power to decide whether to abolish a town or parish council resides; and on what basis that authority or organisation may choose to exercise those powers.

Dehenna Davison: Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, the community governance review is the mechanism through which principal authorities can alter, create or abolish parish councils. Local electors can petition their principal council to undertake a community governance review.The 2007 Act provisions require the principal council to consider local opinion, including parish councillors and local electors, to help inform their judgement in exercising those powers.

Ministry of Defence

Military Decorations: Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to award a coronation medal.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Government is supporting The Royal Household to develop a range of plans for the Coronation. More details about the Coronation will be released as they are confirmed.

Sea King Helicopters

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Sea King helicopters are in operational service in the UK.

Alex Chalk: There are no Sea King helicopters in operational service with the UK Armed Forces.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many have applications for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme Category 4 have been (a) received, (b) accepted and (c) rejected.

James Heappey: Applicants to the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme do not apply for specific categories. As such, all applications are considered against each category before a decision is made. For this reason, we do not hold data on applications and rejections specifically under Category 4. To date the Ministry of Defence has processed 22,345 applications. A total of 3,399 have been granted eligibility, of which around 1,600 grants have been recorded as being under Category 4. Since the scheme began, we have relocated over 12,200 people to the United Kingdom. Category 4 data is taken from a live database and is subject to change. We are now processing and issuing decisions on more applications per month than we are receiving, and in March 2023 we issued more eligibility decisions than in any month previously.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many principal applicants with confirmed eligibility for relocation to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy his Department has lost contact with since April 2021.

James Heappey: Since the launch of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy in April 2021.The Ministry of Defence has granted eligibility to 3,417 principal applicants. Of these, we are currently not in touch with 54 applicants (1.6%) that have failed to respond to several attempts to contact them. Applicants may fail to respond for a variety of reasons, for instance, they may have changed their contact details and not informed us or have decided to relocate elsewhere. Once an applicant has been granted eligibility, we allocate a caseworker to progress their relocation to the UK. The caseworker will contact the applicant and stay in touch to progress their case. We are endeavouring to re-establish contact with the 54 applicants so that they can continue their relocation if they still wish to do so.

Ukraine: White Phosphorus

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2023 to Question 174441 on Ukraine: White Phosphorus, for what reason the UK has not delivered white phosphorus munitions to Ukraine.

James Heappey: The UK has provided military aid in response to Ukrainian requirements and, to date, those requirements have not necessitated the provision of capabilities which contain white phosphorous.

Ukraine: Challenger Tanks

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Army regiments have had Challenger 2 tanks drawn from for provision to Ukraine.

James Heappey: The 14 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks Granted in Kind to Ukraine were drawn from the Queen's Royal Hussars, the King's Royal Hussars, and the Royal Tank Regiment.The Army employs a Whole Fleet Management System to manage its vehicles and to ensure all operational commitments can continue to be met. As a result, the Units which provided Challenger 2 to Ukraine continue to be resourced with the full allocation of platforms required to meet their outputs.

Ukraine: Depleted Uranium

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of deploying depleted uranium shells to Ukraine on (a) the environment and (b) civilian health.

James Heappey: Depleted uranium rounds obviously have a high impact upon those in the target armoured vehicle. Beyond that the effects are limited, primarily to the remains of the targeted vehicle and some potential heavy metal contamination localised around the impact zone. Radiation from depleted uranium is not discernible from natural background radiation at impact sites. The use of depleted uranium munitions have been investigated by the Royal Society, World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Environmental Program, the International Atomic Energy Agency, NATO, the Centres for Disease Control, the European Commission, and others. None of these inquiries has documented long-term environmental or health effects attributable to use of these munitions. The WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) places depleted uranium in 'group 3' - not carcinogenic to humans.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the professions eligible for consideration under category 4 of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme.

James Heappey: There is not a finite list of professions eligible for consideration under Category 4 of the ARAP scheme. As set out in published policy, decisions for eligibility under Category 4 are taken on a case-by-case basis against a set of criteria, which allows for broader consideration of applications than would be the case if considering against specific job roles. The published criteria are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance

Afghanistan: Refugees

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many have people who (a) applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme category 4 and (b) whose application for the scheme under this category was subsequently rejected hold information the disclosure of which would give rise to or aggravate a specific threat to the UK Government or its interests.

James Heappey: The data requested is not available. Applicants to the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy scheme do not apply for specific categories. As such, all applications are considered against each category before a decision is made. The role the applicant played in support of HMG objectives in Afghanistan is fully assessed as part of the decision-making process.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government publishes information on the appeals process for Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy Category 4 candidates who have had their application rejected.

James Heappey: Our Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme reviews process is published on gov.uk and is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance All unsuccessful ARAP applicants have the right to request a review within 90 days of receipt of their outcome letter.

Department for Business and Trade

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the Government's procurement policy is on the use of UK manufactured products to build an automotive vehicle.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The driving principle behind public procurement policy is to award contracts on the basis of value for money, which means the optimum combination of cost and quality over the lifetime of a project.We want UK businesses to be successful in competing for public contracts in other countries around the world, which we achieve by negotiating guaranteed market access for UK suppliers in key sectors such as the automotive industry within many international free trade agreements.

Funerals

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that funeral companies make their complaints policies and procedures clear to all customers.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives consumers rights to redress and refunds including when businesses cancel services that have been agreed.The Competition and Markets Authority recently carried out a market investigation into the funerals sector to ensure these rules were being observed. They have issued guidance to businesses in the sector on their obligations to consumers. Details can be found at: https://competitionandmarkets.blog.gov.uk/2023/01/27/helping-businesses-comply-with-the-funerals-order/.Consumers can seek free advice on their rights from the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 (www.citizensadvice.org.uk/). The Financial Conduct Authority regulates prepaid funeral plans. Details can be found at: https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-regulation-boosts-consumer-protection-funeral-plans-market.

Department for Business and Trade: Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what proportion of their Department's employees are recorded as having a disability.

Nigel Huddleston: The Department for Business and Trade employees remain employed by their previous departments until the new Department is established by a Transfer of Functions order. Data recorded for BEIS and DIT can be found below.For BEIS, the proportion of people employed by the Department who have recorded that they have a disability was 11% as of 28 February 2023.For DIT, the proportion of people employed by DIT who have reported having a disability was 12% as of 28 February 2023.

Manufacturing Industries: Shipping

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to provide specific support maritime manufacturing and assembly companies involved in (a) offshore wind, (b) business construction, (c) vessels and (d) UK ports.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government published the National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh in 2022 which sets out the steps Government will take to create a globally successful, innovative, and sustainable shipbuilding enterprise that works for all parts of the UK. The Government will continue to work in partnership with industry to deliver economic benefit for local areas, helping create well-paid jobs for people living in and around the UK’s coastal communities. For further information, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend, the Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Dr Kieran Mullan) on 14 December 2022, UIN 104345, which outlines in further detail government support to the shipbuilding sector.

Department for Work and Pensions

Cost of Living: Government Assistance

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what further support with essential food and energy costs his Department has provided to vulnerable households.

Mims Davies: The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and is taking action to help. To protect the most vulnerable we have increased benefits in line with inflation. This means that they have risen by September 2022 Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation – 10.1%. In order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions, benefit cap levels have also increased by the same amount. Households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost of Living Payments, paid in three separate payments of £301, £300 and £299 across the 2023/24 financial year. The first payment of £301 will be paid to the majority of those eligible between 25 April and 17 May. In addition, over 6 million people on qualifying disability benefits will receive a separate Disability Cost of Living payment of £150 in the summer and more than eight million pensioner households will receive an additional £300 Cost of Living Payment during winter 2023/24. Further to this, as announced in the Spring Statement, the government is maintaining the Energy Price Guarantee at £2,500 until the end of June. This will ensure that households across the UK are supported through the spring while retail energy costs are expected to remain high. For people who require additional support, whether they receive benefits or not, the Household Support Fund will continue until March 2024. This year long extension allows Local Authorities in England to continue to provide discretionary support to those most in need with the significantly rising cost of living.  The guidance for Local Authorities for this next iteration has now been published and can be found here. This sets out that the fund should be used to support households in the most need, particularly those who are not eligible for other cost of living support such as Cost of Living Payments. The Devolved Administrations will receive consequential funding as usual to spend at their discretion. To further support those who are in work, from 1 April, the National Living Wage (NLW) has increased by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW. This support is in addition to that provided in 2022/23, including cost of living payments for people on eligible benefits, the Energy Price Guarantee and the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

Social Security Benefits:  Disqualification

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March to Question 171416 on Social Security Benefits: Disqualification, for what reasons his Department suspended sanction duration and median sanction length statistics from quarterly benefit sanctions statistics.

Guy Opperman: This is found in the publication here at section 5 of the Benefit sanctions statistics to October 2022 (experimental) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Employment Schemes: West Midlands

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish his Department's joint objectives with the West Midlands Combined Authority for employment programmes once they have been agreed.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work and Pensions has agreed a deepened devolution deal with West Midlands Combined Authority and full details of the deal can be found here: West Midlands Combined Authority: “Trailblazer” deeper devolution deal - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Employment Schemes

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to share the data relating to its labour market and skills programmes in the Trailblazer deals with the Department’s Employment Data Lab.

Guy Opperman: The details of any data sharing requirements of labour market and skills programmes in the Trailblazer deals will be determined throughout the design process and will follow the usual processes.

Employment Schemes

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what role the National Audit Office will play in monitoring the employment support programmes outlined in the Trailblazer deals.

Guy Opperman: The Trailblazer deals do not set out a specific role for the National Audit Office in monitoring the employment support programmes.

Jobcentre Plus: West Midlands

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department will take steps to align Jobcentre Plus office areas with the region covered by the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Guy Opperman: As part of the Government's trailblazer deeper devolution deal with West Midlands Combined Authority, the Department of Work and Pensions has committed to strengthened partnership working with new joint governance arrangements.We have also committed to work together on the design of future contracted employment provision, including co-design and a delegated delivery model, aligned with the Combined Authority’s geographical footprint.Full details of the West Midlands Combined Authority deal can be found here: West Midlands Combined Authority: West Midlands Combined Authority: “Trailblazer” deeper devolution deal - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the policy paper entitled Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper, published on 15 March 2023, what steps his Department has taken to assess the adequacy of the four-week transition period from Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payments at the age of 16.

Tom Pursglove: When most Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claimants reach age 16 they are invited to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP).To ensure continuity of payment while someone in receipt of DLA is assessed for PIP, we continue to pay their DLA at the existing rate for the entirety of the PIP assessment process. Once the PIP decision is made, the DLA continues to be paid, regardless of the PIP outcome, for four weeks following the next DLA payday. These arrangements ensure that those seeing a lower or nil award of PIP have a period in which to adjust to their new circumstances. We have no plans to amend these arrangements.

Employment Schemes: West Midlands

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will develop employment support pilot programmes in West Midlands Combined Authority, in addition to those in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Guy Opperman: The trailblazer deals for Greater Manchester and West Midlands were developed alongside the combined authorities to help address local priorities, resulting in partly bespoke offers to each combined authority alongside joint commitments to both, aligned to the priorities of each area.Full details of the WMCA deal can be found here: West Midlands Combined Authority: “Trailblazer” deeper devolution deal - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Universal Credit

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2023 to Question 169366 on Universal Credit, for what reason the benefit cap is applied to people who are in work but earning less than £658.

Guy Opperman: The monthly Universal Credit earnings threshold is based on 16 hours a week at the National Living Wage. The cap is applied to those earning under that level to encourage people into work and reduce long term dependency on benefits.

Social Security Benefits

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2023 to Question 169369 on Social Security Benefits, for what reason people who are unable to work because they are the primary carer for a child under the age of 3 are subject to the benefit cap.

Guy Opperman: The Government firmly believes that where possible it is in the best interests of children to be in working households and the benefit cap provides a clear incentive to move into work. The Government clearly recognises that high childcare costs can affect parents’ decisions to take up paid work or increase their working hours which is why the changes to the UC childcare element announced in the Spring Budget 2023 will provide generous additional financial support to parents moving into work and/or significantly increasing their working hours. The UC childcare policy aligns with the wider government free childcare offer and the Tax-Free Childcare offer. The current free childcare offer provides 15 hours a week of free childcare in England for all 3- and 4-year old’s and disadvantaged 2-year old's, doubling for working parents of 3- and 4-year-old to 30 hours a week. From April 2024, working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of free childcare per week. This will be extended to working parents of 9 months to 2-year-olds from September 2024. From September 2025, all eligible working parents of children aged 9 months up to 3 years will be able to access 30 free hours per week.

Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2023 to Written Question 156196 on Social Security Benefits: Disability, how many of those claimants had previously received Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment.

Tom Pursglove: The department aims to publish a range of information on claimants of Employment and Support Allowance and the health element of Universal Credit in due course and will pre-announce any publication in line with normal statistical practices.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy Bills Discount Scheme: Leisure

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2023 to Question 147173 on Energy Bills Discount Scheme, what criteria was used to establish that (a) libraries, (b) nature reserves and (c) museums should be classified as Eligible Sectors for Energy and Trade Intensive Industries as part of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.

Amanda Solloway: The thresholds for eligibility for the higher level of Energy and Trade Intensive Industries support under the Energy Bill Discount Scheme is based on businesses operating in the top 20th percentile for both gas and electricity intensity and 40th percentile for trade/goods intensity. Businesses have to meet all thresholds to be eligible.The methodology used to determine the eligibility of SIC Codes for the higher Energy and Trade Intensive Industry (ETII) support is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-discount-scheme-factsheet.

Fuel Poverty

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of families in fuel poverty.

Amanda Solloway: In 2022, there were an estimated 3.26 million households in fuel poverty in England. The annual statistics report on fuel poverty in England, published in February 2023, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-fuel-poverty-statistics-report-2023.

Industry: Investment

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the impact of the US Inflation Reduction Act on investment in low carbon industries in the UK.

Graham Stuart: The UK has seen nearly £200 billion of investment into low carbon sectors since 2010, 50% higher than the US as a share of GDP. We’re cementing our leadership in clean technologies through targeted investment, regulation, policy and market frameworks.

Energy: Carbon Emissions

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the policies set out in his Department's policy paper entitled Powering Up Britain on the Government's net zero targets.

Grant Shapps: Powering Up Britain sets out the policies that enable our carbon budgets to be met. It demonstrates we are world leaders delivering on both energy security and net zero - two sides of the same coin.

Department for Transport

Transport: Databases

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the (a) accessibility and (b) quality of transport data.

Jesse Norman: The Department announced and published its first Transport Data Strategy on 28 March 2023. This strategy shows how the Department will work with and support the transport sector to harness the benefits of data to help grow and level up the economy, reduce environmental impacts and improve transport for the user, with the main goal of improving data accessibility and quality.

Taxis: CCTV

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March to Question 174319 on Taxis: CCTV, if he will list the (a) 15 authorities with a requirement for all licensed taxis to have CCTV fitted and (b) 14 authorities with a requirement for all licensed private hire vehicles to have CCTV fitted.

Mr Richard Holden: Information on the licensing authorities in England that require the fitting of CCTV systems in taxis and/or private hire vehicles is available at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/taxi-and-private-hire-vehicle-statistics-england-2022.

Public Transport: Disability

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department provides to make public transport more accessible for those suffering from (a) visual and (b) audio impairment.

Mr Richard Holden: We are committed to ensuring disabled passengers, including people who are visually or hearing impaired can use public transport easily, confidently, and without additional cost. We have provided £75m to Network Rail to install tactile paving on all remaining railway station platforms by 2025, and on 30 March we laid the draft Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations in Parliament, which if agreed, will require the provision of audible and visible information on local bus and coach services across Great Britain. We have also allocated £4.65m to the Real Time Information Group, who will be supporting small operators with the upfront costs of complying with the planned Accessible Information Regulations.

Driverless Vehicles

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2023 to Question 168095, what discussions he had with the Leader of the House on bringing forward legislation on the deployment and operation of self-driving vehicles.

Jesse Norman: The Secretary of State is in regular contact with the Leader of the Commons on the Department for Transport’s legislative programme. The government is committed to bringing forward Future of Transport legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has taken recent steps to prevent vehicle manufacturers from selling vehicles that contain emissions defeat devices.

Mr Richard Holden: The Government is committed to reducing air pollution from all forms of transport, which has significantly reduced since 2010. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA’s) Market Surveillance Unit conducts an annual emissions-testing programme to test vehicle emissions in the real world. Where testing identifies non-compliant emissions the DVSA works with the manufacturer to implement improvement plans. In 2018, the Government strengthened restrictions against the use of illegal emissions technology by passing legislation making it an offence for manufacturers to place motor vehicles on the market which contain prohibited defeat systems. The Government will also bring forward legislation to enable it to require vehicles to be recalled on environmental grounds, as well as exploring other means of strengthening enforcement.

Active Travel: Finance

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Statement of 9 March 2023, HCWS625, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of reducing the active travel budget for the remainder of the Parliament from £308 million to £100 million on his Department meeting its active travel goals.

Jesse Norman: The Department projects that around £3 billion will be invested in active travel over the five years to 2025, from a wide range of different funding streams, more than any previous Government has invested. The Government’s most recent assessment of progress towards meeting its active travel goals was set out in the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy report to Parliament in July 2022, a copy of which is available in the House Libraries. The Department will provide an updated assessment in its next report to Parliament in due course.

Bus Services: West of England Combined Authority

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential level of subsidy that may be required for non-profitable bus services in the West of England Combined Authority area.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department for Transport has provided over £2 billion in emergency and recovery funding since March 2020 to support bus services and mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) have received over £8 million of this funding. This support is set to continue until 30 June, and Department is actively working on plans to support the sector from July onwards and will make a further announcement on this in due course. The Department continues to discuss the scale of the challenge with representatives from local authorities and from bus operators. The Government also provides WECA with £1.1 million annually through the Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG), which is provided directly to Local Authorities to subsidise socially necessary bus services.

Cabinet Office

British Nationals Abroad

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on how many UK citizens under the age of 50 have emigrated to (a) Australia, (b) New Zealand, (c) USA and (d) Canada since 2015.

Jeremy Quin: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Foreign Nationals: Retirement

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many retired people from (a) Canada, (b) New Zealand and (c) Australia live in the UK.

Jeremy Quin: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Football: Finance

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure the financial stability of football clubs in England.

Stuart Andrew: On 23 February 2023, the Government published a White Paper on reforming club football governance. This set out our detailed plans to improve the financial stability and governance of football clubs across all leagues through the introduction of an independent regulator. The regulator’s primary strategic purpose will be to ensure that English football is sustainable and resilient for the benefit of fans and the local communities football clubs serve.We recognise the need for urgent action to safeguard the future of football clubs throughout the English football pyramid, so we will legislate to put the regulator on a statutory footing as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Commonwealth Games

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has had discussions with the Commonwealth Games Federation on promoting the (a) games in (i) Africa, (ii) Asia, (iii) the Caribbean and (iv) the Pacific and (b) sports indigenous to these regions; and if she will make a statement.

Stuart Andrew: The Government is committed to promoting the benefits that staging and participating in major sporting events, such as the Commonwealth Games, can bring. The Commonwealth Games Federation is primarily responsible for the continuing role of promoting the Games and we have worked with them to do this.Ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Games taking place in the summer of 2022, the then Minister for Sport chaired the 10th Commonwealth Sports Ministers meeting, which brought together delegates from across the Commonwealth to discuss a range of issues relating to the sport sector, including promoting the role of the Games in contributing to the broader values and aims for sport in the Commonwealth.In addition, a £5 million development grant was made available via the Birmingham 2022 Games budget, funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Birmingham City Council, which enabled the Commonwealth Games Federation to fund a range of sport development initiatives across Commonwealth countries.

Business: Voluntary Work

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps  she is taking to encourage businesses to launch corporate volunteering programmes.

Stuart Andrew: The Government wants to see employers develop their own strong corporate responsibility programmes and to encourage businesses, the public sector and charities to consider the role that employer-supported volunteering can play as part of their impact on society.The Government strongly encourages employers to consider offering volunteering leave as part of their employee benefits package. Employees have the right to reasonable time off work to carry out specified public duties, as established in Section 50 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. However, time off for other voluntary duties is a matter for individual employers.

Sports: Government Assistance

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support grassroots sport.

Stuart Andrew: Supporting grassroots sport is a key government priority. Last year, Sport England - our Arm’s Length Body responsible for growing and developing grassroots sport - received almost £350 million from the Government and National Lottery to fund grassroots sports projects. The Government also invests £18 million a year into community sport facilities via the Football Foundation alongside the English Football Association and the Premier League.Sport England uses its funding to support and encourage the development of sport and recreation with the view to increasing participation rates across England. This includes the over £2.2 million of funding Sport England has provided in the Woking constituency since 2019, £240,000 of which supported projects through the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.We are investing £300 million to develop thousands of state-of-the-art community football pitches and multi-use sports facilities across the UK. The Football Foundation has also invested over £400,000 in nearly 20 grants across the constituency, funding pitches, changing facilities, maintenance and equipment.We have committed £30 million a year for 3 years to school sport facilities in England, and over £20 million with the Lawn Tennis Association to renovate park tennis courts across England, Scotland and Wales.At the Spring Budget, we also announced a £63 million package to address the cost pressures facing some public swimming pool providers, and provide investment in energy efficiency measures to make facilities sustainable in the long-term. Both of these interventions aim to ensure that children and adults up and down the country have accessible opportunities to get active.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has committed to delivering a new sport strategy that will set the direction for the Government's priorities and its role in the sport sector. This strategy will support grassroots sport by having a specific focus on ensuring that everyone has access to appropriate and accessible opportunities to get active.

Young Audiences Content Fund

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 3.4 of the White Paper entitled, Up next - the government’s vision for the broadcasting sector, published in April 2022, when she plans to publish the evaluation of the Young Audience Content Fund contestable funding pilot.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help (a) support and (b) encourage broadcasters to provide children’s television content.

Julia Lopez: The Government recognises the unique societal, educational and economic importance of British children’s television and we are taking direct action to support and encourage broadcasters to provide children’s television content to UK audiences.At the Budget, we announced reform and an increase in the rate of tax relief for animation and children’s TV, which will directly boost the level of financial support for children’s production companies. These reliefs have historically already supported 845 programmes, with a total investment of £1.26 billion.Through the Media Bill we will introduce a new remit for public service television, which includes the provision of public service children’s programming. This sends a clear signal about the importance the Government places on high value children's programming being available to families across the UK on a free-to-air basis.We welcome Ofcom’s recent commitment in their Plan of Work 2023/24 to take an in-depth look at how the market is serving the interests of children. This is facilitated by powers we introduced in 2017 for Ofcom to monitor and set criteria for the provision of children’s television. The independent regulator will give us an invaluable insight into the challenges faced by the children’s television industry right now and this will be key in helping us and industry consider where further work is needed.Children’s television was also chosen to pilot contestable funding, which has supported more than 280 hours of new content with a direct investment of £44.1 million. The British Film Institute published an independent evaluation of the Young Audiences Content Fund in December 2022. The Government is conducting an assessment of the contestable funding model to consider its impact and the long-term sustainability of this kind of funding. The potential for further investment will be considered against that assessment and future public service broadcasting needs.

Treasury

Energy: Taxation

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current rate of the Energy Profits Levy.

James Cartlidge: The Energy Profits Levy was introduced in May 2022 to respond to very high prices that mean oil and gas companies are benefiting from exceptional profits. At Autumn Statement 2022, the government confirmed the rate of the levy would rise by ten percentage points to 35%. This is on top of the 40% tax rate under the permanent regime, bringing the combined headline rate of tax for the sector to 75%.As with all taxes, the levy is kept under review.

Department of Health and Social Care

Department of Health and Social Care: Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of their Department's employees are recorded as having a disability.

Will Quince: As of 31 March 2023, there were 3,669 employees in the Department (excluding executive agencies). Of these, 1,198 people (32%) declared a disability status, 18% of whom declared they have a disability.

Bupropion

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department are taking to improve the supply of Bupropion.

Will Quince: The Department is aware of a shortage with bupropion with a resupply date to be confirmed. We issued management guidance to the National Health Service on this shortage on 1 December 2022 advising on the management of patients who require this medication for both licensed and off-label indications. Clinicians can advise on suitable alternative products, and other management options that can be considered, including unlicensed bupropion tablets which have been sourced.

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 110889 of 14 December 2022 on Community Diagnostic Centres.

Will Quince: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 April 2023 to Question 110889.

Health Services: Pilot Schemes

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been (a) disbursed as of 21 March 2023 and (b) committed in total to each of the proposed Cavell centres in (i) Devon, (ii) Derbyshire, (iii) Nottinghamshire, (iv) Lincolnshire, (v) Surrey and (vi) Shropshire.

Will Quince: As of 21 March 2023, NHS England had disbursed £6,853,515 and committed a total of £9,141,379 to the proposed Cavell Centres for the development of business cases. We are unable to provide the information requested for each individual proposed Cavell Centre as it is commercially sensitive.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust: Parking

Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much income from car parking for staff was generated in Somerset NHS Foundation Trust in the 2021-22 financial year.

Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much income from car parking charges for (a) patients and (b) visitors was generated in Somerset NHS Foundation Trust in the 2021-22 financial year.

Will Quince: Data from the NHS Estates Return Information Collection (ERIC) shows that in 2021/22, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust’s total income from car parking was £2,094,729. Income from patients and visitors was £1,336,317 and income from staff was £758,412.The income criteria in ERIC includes Service Level Agreements with other National Health Service organisations, parking fines and parking permits.The Government has committed that all trusts that charge for car parking now provide free parking to in-need groups, which include NHS staff working overnight, frequent outpatient attenders and parents of children staying overnight in hospital.

Members: Correspondence

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to reply to the letter dated 22 February 2023 from Jackie Baillie MSP.

Helen Whately: I replied to the hon. Member on 6 April 2023.

Cancer: Dental Services

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing free dental care to all cancer patients.

Neil O'Brien: We have no current plans to make a specific assessment.There are a range of exemptions to National Health Service dental patient charges. Further information is available on the NHS website at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/dental-costs/get-help-with-dental-costs/

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Ophthalmic Services

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to work with other parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to propose an amendment to make ecocide a crime under that statute.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: 'Ecocide' is not a crime recognised under the International Criminal Court's Rome Statute. While there are currently no UK plans to propose an amendment to the Rome Statute to include 'ecocide', Article 8 of the Rome Statute does provide protections to the natural environment in armed conflict: it designates intentional attacks that knowingly cause widespread, long-term, and severe damage to the natural environment as a war crime.

Israel: Foreign Relations

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to engage with the Minister of National Security in Israel.

David Rutley: The FCDO has no plans to engage with the Israeli Minister of National Security.

Pedestrian Areas: Parking

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to appoint a new Special Representative for Climate Change.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Since 2011 we have supported over 95 million people cope with the effects of climate change, provided over 58 million people with improved access to clean energy and reduced or avoided over 68 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.Whilst an immediate successor to the Special Representative has not been appointed, our resource and senior representation within the FCDO on climate and environment has grown significantly since the creation of the FCDO. Climate change remains an area of utmost importance to this government, and to the Foreign Secretary.

Women and Equalities

Disability: Discrimination

Steve McCabe: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to reduce incidences of discrimination against people with non-visible disabilities.

Stuart Andrew: The Government is committed to improving life choices and opportunities for disabled people in their private lives, in their communities and in employment. We want everyone to live their lives free from discrimination and harassment, including disabled people.The Equality Act 2010 places obligations on employers and service providers regarding people with disabilities, to ensure that they are fully protected from any unlawful behaviour in employment or in the provision of services. This includes a disability that may not be obvious or may be entirely hidden.The Government is delivering for disabled people - in just the last year, we have supported the passage of two landmark pieces of legislation, the British Sign Language Act and the Down Syndrome Act.The Minister for Disabled People announced on 2 December 2022 that a new Disability Action Plan will be consulted on and published in 2023. The Plan will set out the action the government will take in 2023/2024 to improve disabled people’s lives.